A new study conducted by Professor Kyu-Hyun Chae from Sejong University has provided evidence for the breakdown of standard gravity in the low acceleration limit. This discovery could potentially revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
Using data obtained from the Gaia DR3 database, Chae analyzed the dynamics of wide binary stars, which are binary stars that orbit each other. He found that when these binary stars had low accelerations close to one nanometer per second squared, their behavior deviated from what is predicted by general relativity and Newton’s law of gravity. This suggests that gravity itself breaks down in the low acceleration limit.
Chae explained that his inspiration for this study came from his previous research on galactic rotation curves. Wide binaries and galactic disks share similarities in their orbits, and Chae noticed that the behavior of wide binaries with low accelerations was inconsistent with established theories.
The breakdown of standard gravity at lower accelerations has been proposed before, with theoretical physicist Mordehai Milgrom first suggesting this idea four decades ago, giving rise to the controversial theory known as modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). Chae’s findings also align with a similar alternative theory of gravity called AQUAL proposed by Milgrom and physicist Jacob Bekenstein.
One key element of Chae’s findings is the observation that wide binary dynamics should be unaffected by the presence of dark matter, unlike galactic rotation curves. This suggests that the MOND framework is the best explanation for the observed breakdown of standard gravity.
These findings have significant implications for existing cosmological theories that incorporate dark matter and dark energy. Chae states that the gravitational anomaly observed in wide binaries cannot be attributed to dark matter. Instead, it suggests that both Newtonian dynamics and Einstein’s general relativity break down in the same regime.
Mordehai Milgrom and Pavel Kroupa, proponents of the Milgromian theory of gravity, have acknowledged the importance of Chae’s findings. Milgrom highlights that if this anomaly is confirmed and aligns with predictions of MOND, it will have enormous implications for astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics.
Chae believes that further confirmation of his findings will come with better and more refined data in the future. However, the evidence presented in his study is compelling and challenging to ignore.
Chae’s research, titled “Breakdown of the Newton–Einstein Standard Gravity at Low Acceleration in Internal Dynamics of Wide Binary Stars,” was published in The Astrophysical Journal on July 24.